The Marketplace Apostle

As God's people, we will be increasingly led to the structure of His Kingdom and its power, which also leads to challenges of entering new areas of activity. For this reason it is essential that we continually renew our minds referring to the changes coming along with it (see Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23).
 
Romans 12:2:
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.
 
Ephesians 4:23:
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; …
 
In this context I would like to refer to the term „marketplace apostle“. Even if this term is not literally mentioned in the Word of God, it is advisable now to know what this term describes.
 
The Term of a Marketplace Apostle
 
The term marketplace apostle, deriving from the word “marketplace” also meaning economic apostle, describes a believer in Christ (note: man/woman) who is empowered to be effectively operating in the field of economy and herein to advance the Kingdom of God. This effectiveness includes having the focus on the kingdom of God (see Matthew 6:33) as the ability of systematic establishment, support and development of business and ministry fields in financial, strategic and personnel terms.
 
This form of apostolic ministry in the body of Christ is based on Ephesians 4:11-15, in which the ministries serve with the purpose to equip the saints. The Greek word used in Ephesians 4:12 for “perfecting, equip, prepare” is the word “katartismos”. It’s root word is “katartizō” which means “to complete thoroughly, that is, repair (literally or figuratively) or adjust: - fit, frame, mend, (make) perfect (-ly join together), prepare, restore” (note: excerpt from the Strong’s Concordance G 2675).
 
According to biblical standards, it refers to the meaning of the alignments that one chooses to have as a believer in the body of Christ.

Persons in the Word of God operating in the field of authority of the marketplace apostle were, e.g.:
  • Joseph (note: resource administrator in Egypt on behalf of Pharaoh; see Genesis 41:39-49),
  • Bezalel (note: leading craftsman in the house of God; see Exodus 31:1-5),
  • Deborah (note: leading judge in Israel and prophetess at the time of judges; see Judges 4:4),
  • Paul, Aquila, Priscilla (Acts 18:1-3).
It is the desire of God for us as His people to enter the structure of messengers of kingdom power and to move in this world to bring real change.
 
Since Jesus Christ is king and priest, spiritual maturity of a believer in Christ is required to serve effectively in these fields of authority.
 
The Mature Character and Order of Melchizedek
 
=> Our established spiritual character in Jesus Christ in its maturity is connected with the order of Melchizedek. (see Hebrews 5:5-6).
 
Hebrews 5:5-6:
5 In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” (see Psalm 2:7)
6 And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (see Psalm 110:4)
 
Within this order, the functionality of sonship in Jesus Christ can be described as a tree with four boughs with its branches, structured as follows:

1. king
2. priest
3. oracle (note: Word of the Lord)
4. legislator.

The tree trunk represents the sonship in Jesus Christ Himself (see Psalm 1:3; Jeremiah 17:7-8 i.c.w. Isaiah 61:3).

Psalm 1:3:
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prospers.

Jeremiah 17:7-8:
7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

Isaiah 61:3:
… 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

Abraham and Melchizedek

At the time of Abraham it was Melchizedek, the king of Salem, who came out to him and revealed to him the law of God's love and grace through the gift of bread and wine (see Genesis 14:18-20 i.c.w. John 3:16; Matthew 26:26-28; Hebrews 5:5-6; Hebrews 9:11-12).

Genesis 14:18-20:
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High,
19 and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

John 3:16:
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Matthew 26:26-28:
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.
28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Hebrews 5:5-6:
5 In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” (see Psalm 2:7)
6 And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (see Psalm 110:4)

Hebrews 9:11-12:
11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation.
12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.
 
The Function of a King and His Mature Character

The function of a king is, among other things, to possess and manage wealth in order to administer justice as to bring mercy and grace in order to help people (see Psalm 72).

Therefore, in order to become a king, a mature spiritual character is essential. One part of character progress implies learning about the cross of Jesus, which includes the significance of sacrifice.

Learning about the cross of Jesus becomes even recognizable when people are facing challenging circumstances in life, so that it becomes obvious whether they have understood and comprehended the sacrifice in Christ to an extent, that they can apply it or not. <= (note: This part of the message given in “=>” is based on a teaching about the order of Melchizedek from the book “The Order Of Melchizedek”; ISBN: 978-1-911251-08-8; SOT Publications by Ian Clayton.)
 
Jesus Christ as King and the Field of Duties of the Marketplace Apostle
 
The field of activity of the “marketplace apostle” is embedded in the structure of Jesus Christ as eternal king, who is connected with the eternal capital of Israel as His priesthood is linked with the eternal temple within this capital (see Matthew 21:4-10.12-13 i.c.w. Revelation 21:10.22).
 
Matthew 21:4-10.12-13:
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet (see Zechariah 9:9):
5 “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.
7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.
8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” …
12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.
13 “It is written (see Isaiah 56:7),” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”
 
Revelation 21:10-22:
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.
11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.
13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west.
14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls.
16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long.
17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick.
18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.
19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,
20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.
22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
 
The Economy of the King and the Territory
 
Because of this we should be aware that the King's territory is linked to the economy within His place of government. This means that the economy (note: business transactions) is a key human activity. It was important for Jesus Christ to perform some of His miracles and teachings in the midst of the public and commercial spheres.
 
Many of His disciples and followers came from different economic sectors or what we call industries (note: for example: fishermen, tax collectors, noble/influential women and men, …; see Luke 4:1-3; Matthew 9:9; Luke 8:3; Acts 17:4-12).
 
Even Jesus Himself has the background of coming from an economic field because He grew up under the care of Joseph, the carpenter and his wife Mary.
 
The Use of the Term “Marketplace Apostle”
 
The reason why it is advisable today to apply the term “marketplace apostle” is because there are followers (note: men and women) of Jesus Christ in the business world who prioritize the kingdom of God and manage to advance the kingdom of God by their economic empowerment.
 
It is necessary that we as the body of Christ should not only speak of the task of leaders and apostles within the body of Christ, but also acknowledge this ministry (note: hidden) in the business world.
 
The Church of Jesus as an Organism
 
The true church of Christ is not an organization, but rather an organism in which the blood of Jesus circulates. Furthermore, it is not linked to any building, nor to any specific denomination or group of people. The church of Christ is an organism made up of saints from all tribes, tongues and nations who have taken up their cross to follow Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God wherever He leads them – even to death (see Revelation 5:9; Revelation 12:11).
 
Revelation 5:9:
9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
 
Revelation 12:11:
11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
 
As people are supposed to work having their economy in their daily lives and sometimes spend much of their time with their jobs, it is God's concern that true ministry is about serving men right where they are.
 
In this matter Jesus Christ should be our role model, who did not intend to establish an organization, but to build up people by meeting them where they had been and where their center of life and their daily work was. And following this example, our going out into the “world” means to be able to work in the areas of life of others and to have an influence in order to become Christ's ambassadors for them. Hospitality is also a key for the body of Christ to reach people with the Gospel and to serve them not in theory but by practice.
 
From this point of view, some questions can be left out from the perspective of the organization as to how and with what to lead people into churches (note: getting people to come), as they will be happy to do so if they can already truly experience God's love through our surrender.
 
This requires faithfulness of each individual saint to live a life in the love of the Father and in close fellowship with the Holy Spirit in true sonship through Jesus Christ. Only in this steadfastness does any recognizable credibility grow and can be seen so that it can bless and positively change our environment.
 
The Two Pillars of the Temple of Solomon
 
Taking a closer look to the area of the entrance of the temple of king Solomon, it also shows the importance of the priesthood and the royalty.
The area of the temple entrance was constructed with two pillars. The right pillar was called “Jach(k)in – He will establish.” and the left pillar was called “Boaz – In him is strength.” (see 1 Kings 7:21)
 
1 Kings 7:21:
21 He erected the pillars at the portico of the temple. The pillar to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz.
 
In this case Jachin represents the priesthood, because Jachin was a priest in Jerusalem after the exile (see 1 Chronicles 9:10).
 
1 Chronicles 9:10:
10 Of the priests: Jedaiah; Jehoiarib; Jakin; …
 
Boaz, on the other hand, reveals the kingdom in the expression of the businessman, because at the time of Ruth he was a respected and influential businessman as well as a forefather of king David (see Ruth 2:1; Ruth 4:21-22).
 
Ruth 2:1:
1 Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz.
 
Ruth 4:21-22:
21 Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, 22 Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.
 
Kings and Priests
 
Therefore, as saints in Christ Jesus we are called to be kings and priests (see Revelation 1:6; Revelation 5:10).
 
Revelation 1:6:
… 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
 
Revelation 5:10:
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign2 on the earth.”
 
These two areas of authority are the basic pillars within us as being his temples (see 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Peter 2:5).
 
1 Corinthians 3:16:
16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?
 
1 Peter 2:5:
5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house1 to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
 
Comparing the relationship of the priesthood with that of the kingdom in the Word of God, it becomes clear that about 92 percent of the people of Israel were considered to be kings (note: 11 tribes of Israel) and about 8 percent priests (note: Levi). It is obvious that the field of duties of the marketplace apostle or the relevant ministries and other mantles of anointing should be much greater (note: appreciated) than the full-time field of duties within the church.
 
The same percentage as mentioned above can also be found in the Word of God among the saints who worked in the economic sector and in companies as well as farmers, fishermen, military personnel or government officials. Relatively few saints, such as Samuel, Ezra and Ezekiel, were priests/prophets in the sense of what we would call full-time ministry.
 
Mature Believers and the Harvest Field
 
Consequently, it is important that we as body of Christ understand that it takes mature believers who are willing to go into the harvest field, that is outside a “church or congregational context”, including, among other things, the large economic sector or business world.
 
It takes mature believers who are ambassadors for Christ and familiar with the ways of the king to effectively represent Jesus Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:20).
 
2 Corinthians 5:20:
20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
 
This biblical principle has not been abolished, but is still valid and exists today.
 
Being in ministry in the field of economics, may it be self-employment as well as in the respective workplace determined by God, is set to serve people on behalf of God. This kind of service (note: ministry) is of a duty that worships the Lord (see Ephesians 6:6-7).
 
Ephesians 6:6-7:
6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.
7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, …
 
The Workplace Environment and God-given Skills
 
Our work, talents and skills given to us are holy in God's eyes. As we begin to truly put this into practice, we will see more and more how the Kingdom of God intensifies in our field of work. The presence of the kjingdom of God is increasing in every place where the Heavenly Father gets worshiped in spirit and truth (see John 4:23-24).
 
John 4:23-24:
23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
 
Acting on behalf of God in our work place environment, our abilities and gifts is our expression of worship and gratitude, which we give back to the Lord as our expression of honor.
 
For example, if we experience a negative event in our workplace and act according to the rules of the kingdom of God, acting in His love such as applying forgiveness and having patience to bring about continuous change, then the kingdom of God influences and even expands in this area.
 
Since God, the Heavenly Father, does not impose His desire to have relationship with us upon anyone, it is advisable to take Jesus Christ as an example and act the way He did. Jesus revealed the kingdom of God by giving His life through the love of God for people and also for those who had crucified Him (see Mark 10:45).
 
Mark 10:45:
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
 
Conclusion
 
In summary, regarding the term marketplace apostle, it means that these believers are ministers who are proven and active leaders in the business world as well as outside of an organized “church”.
 
In the Word of God, Joseph is a very good example of such an apostolic minister. Joseph worked outside his family to save them later in the time of famine in order to position them properly (see Genesis 41:56-57 – Genesis 46:1-8).
 
The titles of the fivefold ministries (note: apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, teacher) should not be used to put them before the names of people. The identity of any believer in the sonship of Jesus Christ is anchored in the Heavenly Father and recognized in the invisible world.
 
The value of our identity as sons of God does not result from any title, but only from our relationship with God the Father in Jesus Christ and our faithfulness in ministry to Him and towards others.
 
The titles of the fivefold ministries refer only to their respective functions (note: anointings, characteristics of their effects).
 
Those who are already in an alignment with ministers according to their own calling should therefore continue to proceed faithfully in order to be appointed/ordained at the right time by the Lord, which honors the order of God in the body of Christ.
 
Anyone who wishes to place himself wholeheartedly into the ministry of God's Kingdom with his life may trust that the Spirit of God will recognize him/her in mature personal faithfulness and character progress at the right time and lead him/her to an alignment in apostolic understanding.
 
(note: This prophetic teaching is based on a teaching on the subject of the marketplace apostle by Paul Jablonowski entitled “Modern Day Apostles”; web: https://www.sonstoglory.com/moderndayapostles.htm)
 
Amen and Amen.
 
In His Wisdom,
 
Daniel & Tina Glimm